Been thinking of getting my oldest boy a good starter deer rifle & shotgun.

He's going to be 9 years old and is about average size for his age (or slightly below). He shoots my M & P 15/22 like a champ and has a Gamo Lil Cat pellet rifle and a Daisy Red Ryder that he's a great shot with. He can shoot both irons and optics easily. He's also shot my M & P 22 pistol a few times with help - but he's obviously still too small for a pistol.

I've asked him about shooting my M & P 15 TS a few times at the range but he's been hesitant and I don't want to push it. I think it's mainly because of the noise factor.

Anyway - been looking at the Compact models of the Remington 700, Ruger American and Savage in possibly .223, .243 or 25-06 (leaning toward a .243 but open to suggestions). I'm pretty clueless on a 20ga. shotgun and I'm not even sure he'd be able to shoot a shotgun at this point because of the recoil - even with a 20ga.

Just looking for some suggestions - probably won't do this until after his 9th birthday in Feb. Planning on getting him a PA Mentor License and taking him spring turkey hunting this coming year - and if that goes well possibly on the youth/mentor deer season later on.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!

Bill

Savage makes some pretty decent priced 7.62x39 chambered rifles that would be good on deer and easy on recoil. The new Mossberg and Rossi .30-30's get good reviews but I would avoid the new Marlins in favor of a good older used model. I know nothing about shotguns. And every boy should grow up with a 10/22!

Thanks! I have a 10/22 - however it's a tiny bit too big for him right now. The 15-22 with collapsable stock fits well. It's funny - he is more interested "cowboy" style guns than my AR variants. For his "own" .22 I was leaning toward a Henry Golden Boy youth model maybe.

I am not a fan of the switch barrel, break open guns but they are an option if you are on a tight budget. A 20 gauge and a 243 are really hard to beat, so I would try a Remington or Mossberg youth model pump and a youth model bolt action but stay away from the dirt cheap Savage/Mossy/Remington rifles. Ruger American, Howa, Remington 700, and Weatherby Vanguard are pretty darn good rifles for not much money and if he shows a real interest in hunting and shooting when he is older then maybe get him something more expensive.

Yea I really do like the Howa 2 in 1 youth package but I can't get over the "made in japan" thing. I know it's petty - especially since I have a Browning A-Bolt .300 win mag that's made in japan and a Glock 23 that's made in Austria - but I'd like to try to stick with an American made gun for him. Howa is still a good possibility though - that package is tough to beat.

Nothing smaller than a 243 for deer for me. Even that is marginal, in my opinion. There are a lot of options out there. I'd get something that can be used for a while, not just a cheapy

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War Eagle! '10 BCS & '13 SEC

Another scenario would be to buy the full size version of one of those, along with an inexpensive extra wooden stock. Cut down the extra stock and put a Pachmayr Decelerator pad on it for maximum recoil reduction. When he gets bigger, switch to the original, nicer looking standard stock.

For young shooters the 243 and 20 Ga. have always been the
best weapons for those able to handle them.

Minimal energy and minimal recoil for best results in the field.

Have you given any thought to a lever action 30-30? The recoil should not be a problem and the round has proven itself for quite a few years now. The rifles balance and handle nicely and you can shoot them as the come with iron sights or add optics.

Len

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Endeavor to persevere

The Remington Model 1100 LT 20 gauge is a great youth shotgun. It has very light recoil. I do not know if Remington still makes them, but they must be available used.

My son started his oldest boy (who is about to turn 15 and now is 5'11") on an American-made (IIRC) switch-barrel combo in 20 gauge and .243. It proved a good stop on the way to man-sized guns, and the two younger boys are learning on it now.

I like the .243 for versatility. It's adequate for deer at reasonable ranges and deadly on varmints out to 400 yards or more.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I started with a 20 ga which I got for my 9th birthday and still hunt with the same gun today and I turn 70 in a few days. I have three other shotguns, all 20 ga. There is not a North American game bird I haven't taken with that original gun and that includes turkey and more geese than one could count.

A .243 is a very respectable game cartridge and will take any deer that roams this continent and with lighter bullets is a respectable varmint round as well. What is needed more than bullet diameter is the ability to judge distance and shoot well. And I guess with the new ranging scopes one doesn't even have to guess at distance. Be a marksman, don't attempt shots beyond your ability, learn where to put the bullet and the rest will take care of itself.

What about the thompson center gun company they have several long guns with interchangable barrels.

so for example if the rifle barrel is attached it can be removed and a shotgun barrel attached then it can be switched back.

Of course with that system the shooter only has one shot so the shooter would have to take their time and fire carefully.

I know someone said no cheapies,but look into the H&R.They make youth models in about all of their guns.If you can't find one you can buy the youth stock and switch it your self.243 or 7mm-08 would be a good rifle to start out and keep shooting for him.20 gauge will work too.Don't over look the single shots.I have 10 of the H&R singles,in various calibers, and love them all.From a 204 up to a 45-70.

And they also have shorter stocks for smaller shooters.
https://secure.tcarms.com/store/enco...t-no-7623.html

Another vote for T/C.
I gotta admit to being biased though.
I learned to hunt with a single shot - BEST tool to teach a kid that the first shot's got to count.
I've done lever, semis, pumps, and bolts but for the last 10 years it's either been a 4" 686 or Contender carbine in 7-30 Waters depending on my mood at the time.
I also have a 22 match carbine barrel and although I've traded away all of my pistol barrels I still have the stocks.

IF I were in the market for a new gun I'd definitely buy a T/C Encore and start collecting barrels

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In dog years I'm dead.

This thread has taught me a lot. I thought that a pre-64 Winchester 30-30 was the only deer rifle on the planet.

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Why, I aughta.....

I started off with a model94 (.25-35) with buckhorn sights. I understand the modern .30-30 has pretty good trajectory. Support the cowboy gun love.
Shotgun, model 1100 20ga. pretty soft recoil.(.410 is too hard to hit with, too expensive to feed etc.)
By the way, you're an awesome dad.

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Halfway and one more step

I would second the Remington 1100 in 20 gauge. They are very light in recoil (because they're gas-operated), and operate well in all conditions.

If he likes a lever-action, why not .44 Magnum or .45 Colt?
Indiana (for instance) requires pistol-size cartridges in deer season (actually they limit the case length) and a lot of handgun calibers are pretty effective (and very light in recoil) out of a rifle.

Straight-stick break-open single shot rifle/shotgun combos seem like a great idea when you shoot the rifle barrel. Not so much when you shoot the shotgun barrel.

I have a Rossi combo in .22LR and 20Ga. The 20 gauge kicks more than my 12 gauge.

9 year old boy... Hmmm... I'm assuming mass marketed rifles/shotguns here.

.243 Winchester, in a bolt action, my preference is a Winchester Model 70 featherweight. Either stainless or blued. Get an aftermarket stock until he grows into the adult version.

.257 Roberts is another goodie, IMHO. Probably a bit challenging to find ammo at your local WallyMart though.

.25-06, .270, .30-40, .30-06, get into what I'll call the Adult Recoil range.

.30-30 Winchester, in either a Winchester, Marlin, or Henry lever gun. Marlin makes a youth version, and if it's a recent production (2013) they have made big strides in quality control. Still not a JM, but hopefully improving. I would still want to inspect it first, rather than buy it online. This will be my grandson's first deer rifle when he comes of age (he's not even 3 yet). I've got a Remlin 336C in .30-30 all cleaned up and 'smoothe' waiting for him in the safe. Iron sights to start, optics after a few years of field experience.

.32 Winchester Special... Got my first deer with my grandmother's Marlin chambered in that caliber, so I gotta give it a mention.

Shotguns???

Way too much recoil with slugs, IMHO, for a 9 year old. I have an old 20 gauge single shot JC Higgins, that I tried some slugs in. It dang near brought tears to my eyes. And that was through a heavy wool coat. If you must go sluggin', I'd look for a Marlin 512 or 512P. These are heavy bolt action 12 gauge shotguns. One round in the chamber, two in the magazine. I would (and on mine have) consider some sort of recoil management device, such as a GraCoil, et al.

Good luck and thanks for keeping the hunting heritage alive!!!

The .250 Savage is light on recoil but kills deer well.
Most of the ones I've shot with it fell on the spot.

I see J&G Sales has Mini Mausers in .223 and 7.62 X 39. Light, short, and might be worth taking a look at.

Stay away from the single shot shotguns. The stocks are terrible as is the recoil. Look at a youth model Remington, Winchester, Mossberg, etc.

When I read the title question of this thread my brain jumped to a drilling in 16 ga and 7x57 but I'm sure that isn't what the op was looking for.

I've killed more than a few mule deer with a Ruger M77 .243 over the last 40 years. The .243 cartridge does the job very well.

My first shotgun was a 20 gauge Remington 870 Wingmaster. It was a fantastic shotgun and I kind of wish I still had it.

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Bill Bates

As far as deer rifle any of those calibers will do just fine. I think some may say nothing less then .243 but i have shot deer at 200 yards with .223 and killed with no problem. I would recommend checking your local ammo supplier for availability of ammo in all of those calibers you may find some difficult to obtain .223 being one of them.

I started at age 9 with a 20 gauge single shot.

When my grandson turned 9 I gave him a Remington 870 youth Jr. 20 gauge.This model is a Gander Mountain exclusive but it comes with the shortest available stock at 11" LOP.

He is using it as a single shot when squirrel hunting with me. The action is open and when game is sighted he drops a round into the open action and chambers it. I do allow him to fully load it at the range but when hunting I want him to focus on learning to make the first shot count. So far he has done well with it.

Bill, he will be FINE with a 20ga shotgun. The nice thing about them, he won't 'outgrow' it the way he would with a 410. I will recommend either a Mossberg 500, or a Remington 870 wingmaster. The butt pads on both are very good and soft. The feel is right, the price is right, and the gun will last his lifetime.

The AR's, by design drop a LOT of noise on the shooter. You will find a bolt rifle will keep his end of the gun much more manageable. And, the 'feel' of a rifle, vs. an AR will make him much more comfortable.
For the rifle?? 243. Any smaller, and you are bumping the minimums on a deer rifle. Some states won't allow a rifle under .24 and stored energy of 1000ft. lb. at 100 yds. The 223 barely meets this criteria. BARELY. 243 is a sweet shooter, lots of variations of bullet weight and construction, and is dependably powerful enough to put down most animals without fuss. (Sans the BIG animals; Elk, moose, bear, giant hogzillas) If I were looking at the rifle to buy? #1. Remington 700. #2. Savage with accutrigger. #3. Basic Savage without accutrigger.

If you can find one for a good price, the Howa 1500 is an exceptionally good rifle. I have one in 243, and it has my longest distance kill to date; a tad over 600 yds, on a 'yote. Bolt action is SMOOTH, and the trigger is jewel, right out of the box. Harder to find than the Remington. It would be a tie for #1 if I knew it were readily available.

The Ruger is accurate, but the magazine release mech. is not that good, and I did not think it would last 30 years like the rifle should. Also, the bolt is sloppy loose. But YES; it is accurate, and it does work just fine. Were that all that were available? I would take it.

The Mossberg rifle. My buddy got one in 30-06, and he wishes he had gotten the savage. The bolt, again- loose feeling and sloppy action. It works fine, and yes, it is accurate. So, if it were all that is available?? I could live with it. I got sub MOA with the rifle, which was amazing shooting because we used several different rounds. Different manufacturer, different weights. The rifle held between .90 and 1.5 MOA, and we mixed and matched rounds just to see what would shake out. It's not a picky eater, not at all.

OP, I have already been there on this subject. My son is now 14. He took his first squirrel at 8 with a Davy Crickett. He took his first deer at the age of 9. He was using a youth model Remington 700 in a 243. He has a Rem 700 .243, a Rem model 7 .260, and a Ruger American in a .308 to hunt with now. I would go with the 243 Rem youth to start off with and then move on to the American in a 308.

BTW-He just took a doe week before last during WVA split doe season using the Model 7.

I also thought about the encore but the cost is what stopped me. I also have one of these as well. By the time I got it fixed up with a youth stock, it would cost me more than a new bolt action. When I say this, I mean buying him one that he can call his own. I bought the youth model 700 for $325. Oh, I also topped two of his guns with the Nikon prostaff 3x9 BDC scopes. He has a leupold 3x9 scope on the .260. The Model 7 is the nicest rifle of the bunch. It is also the most expensive. He likes the Ruger too. He has taken deer with all 3 rifles.

I know this is blasphemy. But here goes, are lever guns really that good idea for kids? Lowering the hammer to return the gun to safe maybe an issue for some shooters. That said I understand some lever guns do have safety's now.

My first deer rifle was a Remington Model 7 (carbine version of the 700) in 6mm. I was a tiny boy when I killed my first deer 17years ago. Now I m at fat man who will be carrying that ol rifle again this season. Still use my 870youth model as well. I like the shorter stocks. Shoot them as well as I do bigger guns.

At that age (or any age) I think the single shots are safest & teach ALL to take your time & make the first shot count. I bought a H&R varmintmaster (pre Remington) as a target gun for my rehab & love it. Started with the 223 bull bbl, then the 243 bull, and am thinking of getting the 20 ga bbl (130$) if I don't sell it, as I found a rem 40x single shot 223 and use that mostly now. with todays bullets there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 243, (even the 223 if legal) for hogs/deer, and 20 ga for any type of bird hunting, YES even turkey. There is even a youth stock available. It is heavy but that soaks up the recoil & steadies the shot. it's worth a look see.

Weatherby made a Vanguard "youth model" in .243 7mm-08 and .308., that shipped with two stocks. Both my sons started out with one, and continue to use them with the second larger stock. Might want to check and see if they still offer the model.

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